Members of Parliament, industry representatives and media were among those who joined the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) and Scottish Secretary David Mundell in Dover House on Whitehall.

The Scotch whisky industry is the single biggest net contributor to the UK’s balance of trade in goods. Without its success, Britain’s trade deficit would be 11 per cent bigger.

Secretary of State for Scotland David Mundell said:

The Scotch whisky industry is a truly global exporter which generates billions of pounds for our economy and supports thousands of jobs in Scotland and across the UK. Thirty four bottles of Scotch are shipped overseas every single second, and sold to 175 countries around the world. There is a bright future ahead for Scotland’s whisky producers, and the UK Government is proud to back them all the way.

SWA acting chief executive Julie Hesketh-Laird said:

I’d like to thank the Scottish Secretary for hosting us for our annual celebration of Scotch whisky, recognising the industry’s importance to the entire UK economy. We have an excellent relationship with the Scotland Office and have met regularly throughout the year to discuss issues of relevance, such as overseas trade. Brexit is clearly top of the agenda and we will be having further discussions with the UK Government on what we see as industry priorities as the UK leaves the EU.

Pierre Pringuet, SWA chairman and Pernod Ricard vice president, said:

We are grateful to the Secretary of State for Scotland for hosting our Scotch whisky gathering in the magnificent Dover House. As chairman of the SWA, I have the privilege of leading an organisation committed to ensuring Scotch whisky retains its iconic status worldwide. I am confident Scotch whisky will deal successfully with the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.